I don’t spew unnecessary hatred at Big Tech.
Still, I take my privacy seriously and am highly critical of a platform that has earned a reputation for exploiting users’ personal data.
I quit many platforms in the past, including Facebook, after the infamous Cambridge Analytica scandal, for the poor handling of my personal data.
While quitting Facebook wasn’t a decision I thought much about at the time, it taught me to never take privacy for granted or leave it until it was too late.
One way to protect yourself from possible future data breaches is to embrace open source software.
I’ve already replaced many popular apps with their open source alternatives, and I couldn’t be happier.
Recently, I’ve tried something similar with my note app, but this time, I’ve gone the extra mile and tried self-hosting.
Here is why I stopped trusting standard note apps with my personal diaries and hosted my own instead.
4 reasons to switch to self-hosted apps on your Android phone
If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product
My personal diary was always private, but I had little control over it
I’ve tried a plethora of note apps, including OneNote, Evernote, and Google Keep, and they are all worth recommending to anyone who wants decent software to jot down notes.
However, for something like a personal diary, I would like to gain more control over my thoughts.
This is not to say that those standard note apps aren’t secure and don’t steal your personal information and then hand it over to bad actors.
Instead, what concerns me more is that those companies have too much control over what I type and store on the app.
Evernote is a textbook example of why having less control over notes can impact users’ privacy.
The company faced a huge backlash from users for a new privacy policy that allowed its employees to review users’ notes for machine learning purposes.
While Evernote backtracked on that change to its privacy policy and made it opt-in, the company’s controversial policy decision eroded my trust.
Even though I was using it to jot down random thoughts and daily reminders, I couldn’t fully trust the platform again.
If this wasn’t bad enough for Evernote, it restricted note synchronization from unlimited to only two devices. In 2023, it made another significant change by limiting the free plan to 50 notes and one notebook.
Still, there are platforms where you don’t get restrictions such as these, but there is always a possibility that everyone else will follow suit and make the same changes, or something even worse.
While you have the freedom to move your notes somewhere else, getting used to something new is a learning curve, and nobody wants to do it because of someone else’s fault.
I quit Evernote a few years ago, but what if my current default comes out with something even more controversial in the future?
I thought about this long ago and had a plan in place. I’m happy that I could finally execute it.
QuizNote-taking apps
Trivia challenge
From sticky notes to sprawling wikis — how well do you know the world’s most popular note-taking apps?
Google KeepOneNoteNotionEvernoteFeatures
Which of the following best describes Google Keep’s core visual design philosophy when it launched in 2013?
That’s right! Google Keep was designed around the familiar concept of sticky notes, letting users jot down quick thoughts in colorful cards. This made it instantly approachable compared to more complex rivals like Evernote.
Not quite. Google Keep launched with a colorful sticky note interface, prioritizing speed and simplicity over complex organization. Its card-based layout was a deliberate choice to make quick note capture feel effortless.
In what year was Evernote originally founded?
Correct! Evernote was founded in 2008 by Stepan Pachikov and launched publicly that same year. It quickly became one of the defining productivity apps of the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Not quite — Evernote was founded in 2008. It rose to massive popularity in the following years, often being cited as a pioneer of the modern note-taking app category before facing stiff competition from newer entrants.
Microsoft OneNote organizes content using a real-world metaphor. What is the correct hierarchy from largest to smallest?
Exactly right! OneNote mirrors a physical notebook, organizing content into Notebooks, which contain Sections (like tabbed dividers), which in turn hold individual Pages. This familiar structure helped ease adoption among students and office workers.
Not quite. OneNote uses a Notebook → Section → Page hierarchy, deliberately mimicking the experience of a physical ring binder. This intuitive structure has made it especially popular in educational settings.
Which feature most distinguishes Notion from traditional note-taking apps like Google Keep or Evernote?
Spot on! Notion’s ability to create relational databases — where entries in one database can be linked to another — sets it apart from simpler note-taking tools. This makes it capable of functioning as a project manager, wiki, and CRM all in one.
That’s not it. Notion’s standout feature is its relational database system, allowing users to connect tables of data in powerful ways. This transforms it from a note-taking app into an all-in-one workspace that can replace tools like Trello, Airtable, and even basic spreadsheets.
What is the name of Evernote’s signature feature that lets users save web content directly into the app from a browser?
Correct! Evernote Web Clipper is a browser extension that lets users save full web pages, articles, simplified text, or screenshots directly to their Evernote account. It became one of the app’s most beloved and widely used features.
Close, but the correct name is Evernote Web Clipper. This browser extension has been a cornerstone of Evernote’s appeal for years, letting users clip everything from recipes to research articles with a single click.
Which Google Keep feature allows users to be reminded of a note when they arrive at a specific physical location?
That’s right! Google Keep supports location-based reminders, meaning you can set a note to pop up when you arrive at a specific address — like a grocery list that appears when you reach the supermarket. It’s a handy feature that blends notes with context-aware computing.
Not quite. The feature is called location-based reminders in Google Keep. It triggers a notification when your device detects you’ve arrived at a set location, making it perfect for errand lists or on-site task reminders.
OneNote was first released as part of which Microsoft Office version?
Correct! Microsoft OneNote debuted as part of the Office 2003 suite, making it one of the older mainstream note-taking apps still in active development today. It was initially marketed heavily toward tablet PC users who could write directly on screen.
Not quite — OneNote first shipped with Microsoft Office 2003. At the time it was seen as an experimental addition to the Office suite, but it steadily grew into one of Microsoft’s most used productivity tools.
What are the building blocks of content in Notion, used to add everything from text and images to code snippets and embeds?
Exactly! Notion uses a block-based editor where every piece of content — whether a paragraph, a to-do checkbox, an image, or a database — is its own individual block. This flexible system allows users to mix and match content types freely on any page.
That’s not right. In Notion, everything is built from blocks. Each block is a discrete unit of content that can be dragged, rearranged, and transformed into other block types, giving Notion pages their famously flexible and modular structure.
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A self-hosted setup gave me complete control of my personal diary
I don’t want to pretend that everyone has the resources and skills to self-host, given the complexities that are involved in the process.
However, if you have the patience, it’s not rocket science, either.
My self-hosted setup is simple. I use Docker to run Nextcloud on my laptop, which has 1TB of storage, to host my private cloud.
After setting it up, I connected my favorite note-taking app, Joplin, to Nextcloud.
It’s been a few weeks since I started using it, and I no longer have to worry about storing my notes on some other company’s servers. All my Joplin notes now stay on my hardware.
Since Joplin syncs through my self-hosted Nextcloud server, I can access my Joplin notes across multiple devices.
I use it on my Mac, iPhone, Motorola Edge 50 Neo, and Samsung Galaxy S21. There is no device limit.
Although I plan to move to a dedicated mini PC or NAS to self-host Nextcloud in the future, I have the option to add an external drive to increase the storage if I need it.
That’s the kind of flexibility I get when I self-host, whereas with standard note-taking apps, I may require a Premium subscription to store more notebooks.
Joplin on my Nextcloud server also allows me to add an extra layer of protection to my notes with end-to-end encryption.
So, I’m more assured that I won’t be a victim of some Joplin employee accessing my notes for their own benefit.
Since encryption happens on your device before notes are synced, no one, including company employees, can read them without your master password. That’s a huge relief.
Both Joplin and Nextcloud are open source, so they both operate with greater transparency than any other proprietary note apps.
Since their source code is publicly available, I don’t have to take the developer’s word for it when they say the app respects my privacy. I can independently verify it.
I can do all of this without spending an extra penny.
There are some caveats, but I’m not looking back
The biggest trade-off with this setup is that I need to keep my laptop on for syncing. So, I may eventually switch to a NAS to keep Nextcloud running round the clock.
I also have to take care of the backups, because without them, if my hardware fails, I’ll lose all my data.
While this sounds a bit more involved than using standard note apps or subscription-based apps, I’d say it’s fun setting it up and certainly worth it, given how useful it is.
